Propeller-wheel.



PATBNTED MAY 26,1903.

No. 729,397.- y

V W. NOWAK.

PROPELLER WHEEL. APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 9. 1903.

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No. 729,397l

N0 MODEL.

, Q PATENTED MAY 26, 190s.

J. W. NOW-AK. -PROPELLER WHEEL.

APPLIOATIO FILED FEB. 9. 1903.

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Patented May 26,1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN NOWAK, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROPELLER-WHEEL.

v SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters :Patent N 0. 729,397, dated May 26, 1903.

Application led February 9, 1903. Serial No. 142,551. v(No model.)

To rif/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, .I OHN W. NOWAK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,`have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propeller- Wheels, of which the following is aspecication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in propeller wheels such as are generally employed-in connection with boats of the stern-wheel type and those of the side-wheel type.

The object of the invention is to construct a propeller-Wheel withithe propeller-blades so arranged that they Will pass into the water without odering any resistance, then be brought to the proper propelling position, and as they reach the end of their propellingstroke will be tilted, whereby to lift out of the water without raising any water therewith,

thus materially increasing the effectiveness of the propeller-Wheel, owing to the fact that no power is required to force the blades into the water or lift the same out of the water, as is the case in propeller-wheels where the blades are rigidly mounted at their ends in the carriers therefor.

Still further objects of my invention reside in the novel means .for giving the desired inclinations to the blades, and in the case of boats ofthe stern-wheelv type to provide a fender for the wheel pivotally hung, whereby to be raised out of the Way above the wheel when not desired for use, and when desired to be lowered, so as to guard the wheel from iioating debris.

With the above andother objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically described and then particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and in describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and wherein like numeralsof reference will be employed for indicating like parts throughout the several views, in which drawings- Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of my improved propeller-wheel as applied to a vessel of the stern-Wheel type, showing the dashboard o'f the vessel and the fender in its lowered position. Fig. 2 is au elevation of the propeller-wheel. detail view of the wheel. Fig. 4 is an end view thereof. Fig. 4 is a central vertical section of Fig.. 4. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of a modified form of blade or paddle. Fig. 6 is a detached detail side elevation of the preferred form of supporting wheel or spider for the blades or paddles. Fig. 7 is an end View showing a modied form of driving means. Fig. 8 is a like view of another form of modiiied construction.

The blad es or paddles are rotatably mounted in the ends of the wheel and are provided on each end with a crank connected to eccentrics operated by the driving-shaft of the wheel, whereby these blades or paddles are always vertical during the revolution of the wheel, thus permitting their entry into the water with practically no resistance, also presenting their full width to the Water during the portion of the travel of the wheel when i the blades are in the water in propelling position and their lifting out of the Water without lifting of the water.

In the illustration of my invention I have shown the same applied to the stern type of vessel, though it is applicable alike to vessels of the side-Wheel type. To put the invention into practice with a vessel of the stern-Wheel type, I employ a drive shaft l, which is mounted in suitable bearings on the supporting-beams 2. The drive-shaft carries cranks 3, to which the pitxnan or driving rods 4 are connected, these pitman or driving rods working through an opening 5 in the dashboard 6. The wheel embodies disks `7, concentrically mounted on the shaft l, near each end thereof, these disks being provided with annular outwardly-extending [ianges 8 over which the cap-plates 9 are placed and suitably secured, thus inclosing the driving mechanism from the action of or exposure' to the Water. The blades or paddlesy l0 are provided with journals or spindles ll on their ends, which are mounted in the concentric disks 7. These blades or paddles are provided with beveled edges, whereby to cause the same to enter the water with the least possible resistance and also lift out of the same with the least possi- Fig. 3 is a diagrammatical ble resistance and also without lifting any water therewith. I may provide but one central or intermediate support for the blades or paddles or I may provide a plurality of intermediate supports.

Fig. 2 shows the wheel constructed with a single supporting wheel or spider for the blades, the preferred form of construction of which is shown in detail in Fig. G. This wheel 12 is concentrically mounted on the shaft 1, centrally thereof, and is provided on its rim or periphery with bearings 14 to receive the central or intermediate spindles or journals 15, formed in the paddles or blades.

A modied form of construction for the paddles or blades is shown in Fig. 5, in which each paddle or blade comprises the journals 1G, having crank ends 17. The journals 1G are mounted in the disks 7, and the paddle or blade comprises a series of sections 18, connected together by journals or spindles 19, having clamp ends 2O riveted to the sections 1S. Where a blade or paddle of this form of construction is employed, I will of course employ a series of the supporting wheels or spiders 12 on the drive-shaft 1.

With the form of blades or paddles shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 I connect a crank 21 to each of the spindles 11. These cranks carry wrist-pins 22, which engage in a disk 23, loosely mounted on the eccentric 25 and provided with a flange 2-1, which is mounted on a stationary eccentric 25, provided with a sleeve 26, in which the shaft 1 turns, which sleeve is rigidly supported from the bearing for the shaft. As the wheel as an enti retyis revolved, it will be noted that the disk 23 being rotated rotates the paddles or blades, so as to maintain the same vertical at all times, whereby they enter the water edgewise, be presented broadside while traveling rearward through the water, and elevated edgewise out of the water. It is to be noted that by this means a wheel of much less diameter may be employed than where the paddles or blades are presented sidewise to the water as they enter the same and also as they are being lifted out of the water, permitting the revolution of the wheel at a much greater rate of speed, and consequently obtaining a higher rate of speed for the vessel with the same or loss power expended.

In order to protect the wheel from tioating debris in the water, especially where applied to vessels of the stern-wheel type, I may employ a fender 27, standing out some distance from the wheel at the center and tapering toward each end of t-he wheel, whereby any tioating object striking the fender will be projected to one side or the other of the vessel. This fender, for the sake of lightness, is preferably of skeleton or lattice-work form, comprising the horizontal frame-bars and the vertical or upright bars 2S. The frame of the fender issupported by brackets 29, which are loosely mounted on the drive-shaft 1, stops 30 and 31 being provided for limiting the upward and downward movement of the fender, respectively. The fender is conveniently 0perated by means of a chain or other connection 32,'attached toacentral bar 33 and passing through the dashboard 6, where it may be secured at any suitable point. The stop 31 forms a rest for the fender when the same is in the lowered position, thus supporting the same at both ends, as well as the same being supported at the center by the chain 32.

In Fig. 7 I show a modified form of driving means in which I employ gears in lieu of the cranks on the ends of the blades or paddles and intermediate gears for driving the same. To this end I mount on the spindles or journals of the blades gears 3l, which mesh with smaller gears 35, loosely mounted on the disks 7. Motion is imparted to these gears through the medium of a stationary gear 36 (acting the same as the stationary cam 25) and engaging gears 37, also loosely mounted on the disks 7.

In Fig. 8 I also show another modified form of driving means for the blades or paddles in which I employ sprocket-wheels 38, mounted on the spindles or journals of the blades or paddles operated by a chain 39,0perating over said wheels and over a stationary sprocketwheel 10. Driving means of either of these forms accomplish the same result in the actuating of the blades or paddles, and the cap piece or plate 9 protects the driving mechanism from exposure to the water.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

lOO

1. Adevice of the characterdescribed, comprising in combination with a drive-shaft, disks mounted thereon, blades or paddles journaled therein, stationary eccentrics carried by the shaft-bearings, loosely-mounted disks carried by said eccentrics and connected with said paddles, and means for closing the first-named disks to inclose said `eccentrics and loosely-mounted disks, substantially as described.

2. A device of the type set forth comprising a drive-shaft, bearings therefor, disks concentrically mounted on the shaft, annular outwardly-extending flanges formed on said disks, cap'plates secured on said flanges to close said disks,bladesjournaledin said disks, cranks secured to the blades, stationary eccentrics carried by the shaft-bearings, and loosely-mounted disks carried by the eccentrics and connected to the cranks of said i blades, whereby the paddles are held in a vertical position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN lV. NONVAK.

Witnesses:

WM. HEECKESTEIN, A. M. WILSON.

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